 Poster: A snowHead
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We are 2 families totalling 9 skiers, who can ski well. We're going to Morzine from December 16 to 23. We want to mainly ski Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz. What would be a good itinerary for the first 2 days to get a good overview of these resorts? The piste map seems to have lots of options but I'm not sure how well different sectors link to each other and would welcome some advice please.
Also does anyone know when the Portes du Soleil lift passes for this week will become available to buy?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I bought mine yesterday online for the following week, much cheaper than through Crystal, in total I paid £575 as opposed to £834!
I'm not sure the Super Morzine will be open that week (but everything seems to be opening earlier than planned) so your route to Avoriaz will be the bus to Prodains and get the lift into town from there. If the Super Morzine does open then you don't need to bother with buses. There is plenty of skiing on the Les Gets side for 2/3days easily even for good skiers but if you like to put some miles behind you then get up to Avoriaz early and do the PdS circuit which takes in Chatel, Morgins, Les Crosets etc.
They link up very well, the only pain being the train or walk across Morzine between the Pleney (Les gets side) and the Super Morzine but generally if you are staying in Morzine you'll go in one direction or the other and stay on that side all day. You won't run out of skiing.
Enjoy
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Don't try and make it too complicated and see what conditions are like in 10 days time! Pick an area, ski that for the day 
Morzine (Pleney side) and Les Gets 1 day.
Super Morzine and Avoriaz (assuming SM link open) another day.
Good links between areas but if there are 9 of you (including kids?) then trying to cover too much ground in a day (i.e. PdS circuit) is a recipe for missed lifts and expensive taxi rides!
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Lift Passes
In previous years the PdS has opened the week before Christmas week but, probably in reaction to poor snowfall the last couple of years the official date was moved to the Christmas week. While they have had the snow this year I wouldn't expect them to bother updating the lift pass websites, so it's just going to be a matter of buying when you arrive or maybe on the transfer coach (if you're on a package).
Itinerary
I'd hit Morzine/Les Gets on day 1 and by the sound of it you should be able to ski most of it. It does mean a short ski carry but I'd recommend hitting Mont Chery in Les Gets while you're there. It tends to be quite quiet so you get lots of piste, has a couple of nice blacks off the back and a more challenging (to enter) one on the front. Time it for a drink stop - the restaurant at the top actually has a dedicated hot chocolate menu...
Day 2 head up to Avoriaz, either via the Super Morzine (couple of nice warm-up runs back under the first chair off the top of the S-M, but a long flat glide to carry on over to Avoriaz) or either the Prodains/Ardent bubbles (free buses) if S-M is closed/your boarders don't want the long glide.
Prodains: Better for Avoriaz itself (i.e. you don't have the full PdS pass), just head down from the gondola and take one of the chairs on the right (the one on the left takes you back towards the S-M home run). The run back down to the bottom of Prodains is also good fun and usually empty. Finally if you're looking down from top of Prodains on the left at the top of the section of restaurants is Changabang (great burger place for a quick, cheapish, tasty lunch).
Ardent: Better for spreading over into Chatel and Les Crosets (full PdS pass) via the Chaux Fleurie chair (ahead and left - check out Chez BaBeth, just for a coffee as it's not cheap but the inside has to be seen to be believed...), or up in to the top of Avoriaz (2 chairs on right). Back behind you (flat area so after a bit of a pole/walk) you can go down past the Goat Village with it's range of nice restaurants and get on to the run back to the bottom of the bubble, again a nice run.
S-M: Brings you out between Avoriaz and Ardent, so take your pick. Getting back to the S-M can be tricky the first time - if you look down in to Avoriaz from here you'll see 2 tunnels to the left, you want to hit the far one.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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+1 for BaBeth, it's an amazing place and the pizza's are delicious.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Why limit yourself if you have PDS passes?
E.g. snow and weather dependent
Day 3 - Linga
Day 4 - head over to Switzerland
If it’s snowing - tree runs on Pleney, les gets or lindarets or down to prodains.
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This is very useful info. I'm doing something similar but just for the weekend starting from the 15th. Really wasnt sure what was going to be open. Any suggestions on whether it is better to be based up in avoriaz or in morzine/montriond. Have a hire car so was planning on driving to a suitable base for that area for the day. Either prodains, Les gets or morzine. Also am slightly more concerned now about whether roads might be closed due to too much snow.
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I don't think the 'PdS' pass or the 'normal 'PdS' pass is available on the website that week as the 'proper' PdS is not open fully that week.
What ever 'full area' pass is available that week, I'm sure it will be a discounted pass against a normal PdS pas as not all the area will be open. (The resorts don't have all their lifties, ski patrol, binmen etc etc in place so don't open every piste, park etc).
A good chunk of the French side of the PdS will be open and some of the Champery, Morgins, Les Crossets area open too. Full PdS opens on Fri 22nd.
Good news is the pistes will be very quiet Mon to Fri. Avoriaz has a snowboard tour thing happening weekend of Fri/Sat/Sun 15/16/17 so might be better to stay in Morzine and Les gets your first weekend but should be deserted from Mon 18th.
http://www.avoriaz.com/en/events/rock-on-ultimate
Free snowboard test and stuff
I'd play it by ear a bit. If it's snowing heavily ski in Morzine/Les Gets at tree level for good Viz. If the weather clears head higher to Avoriaz.
+1 for Mt Cherry in Les Gets for good Reds and blacks. Pre la Joux and Linga area of Chatel are good.
If the Viz is good on Fri 22nd a good circular tour of the PdS is........
Up Super Morzine bubble, Ski over to AVoriaz, Ski down to Mossette chair lift and take chair up to Swiss boarder, from there ski to Champoussin, from Champossion to Morgins. In Morgin vilage jump on Navette to Le Corbeu Chair, take Le Corbeu chaior out of Morgin and use some drag lifts to get you over to Chatel. Then in Chatel ski to La Linga and Pre la Joux area, then back over to Avoriaz and back to Super morzine.
Good circular day out but need to get a move on so need good Viz and short lunch.
Also Les Crossets on the swiss side should be megga quiet the week your out there but I'm guessing everywhere is gonna be quiet as the past few years early season snow fall record has put lots of people off.
Enjoy
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@@247snowman, I almost always took my clients for a nice long lunch when doing the circuit.
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| @247snowman wrote: |
| Up Super Morzine bubble, Ski over to AVoriaz, Ski down to Mossette chair lift and take chair up to Swiss boarder |
Where you really DON'T want to stop for a drink! Think it was 9Euro for a large (500ml) Coke last year. Thankfully the rest of the PdS is more reasonably priced.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Does anyone know whether the restaurant at the top of the Swiss Wall is expensive? I would like to take my family there.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@KennyEverett, i'd guess so fella. Only had a drink there and it was not cheap.
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| KennyEverett wrote: |
| Does anyone know whether the restaurant at the top of the Swiss Wall is expensive? I would like to take my family there. |
If it's the one I'm thinking of, the lunch range is limited but not over-priced, but they do the BEST COOKIES EVER!
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Two different places
Cookie cafe is at the top of mossette lift at the pointe des mossete on the swiss boarder.
Swiss wall (Chavantte piste) is at the pointe Chavantte in Fornet bowl. Restaurant up there has a Russian sounding name but I can't remember it?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Out in Morzine in Jan., staying at BiL's place. Any suggestions for half-decent bar/resto in Morzine for meal to say "thanks" for the free stay?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@dobby, many places. Bec Jaune microbrew for pub food. Clin d’Oeil good French. Chez Philibert I understand very good...
Few places to avoid.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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La chaudanne, ah yes, very good!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 for Clin d'Oeil
Went to La Grange in September for the 1st time and enjoyed it.
As
@under a new name, says, few places to avoid. Also solid recommendations by @no_snow_in_swindon,
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L’Etale. Never go to Morz without popping in there. Very reasonable prices too
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| dobby wrote: |
| Out in Morzine in Jan., staying at BiL's place. Any suggestions for half-decent bar/resto in Morzine for meal to say "thanks" for the free stay? |
Maybe it's the man-logic talking but why not just say "What's your favorite restaurant, I'm taking you out to say 'Thanks'"? You know you're taking him somewhere he likes and not somewhere good that he personally dislikes.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You can combine Les Crossets with the route @@247snowman gave, by going from Super Morzine down through Avoriaz to the Fornet, then experts can take the wall, and go over into Les Crossets from the Champery side, before heading up Mosettes or for the less experienced, take Cuboré and enter Les Crossets from Grand Conches side before exiting via Mosettes -> Champoussin etc..
If you're pushed for time, you can take the Col du Portes du Soleil (or Didier Defago) from Mosettes straight to Morgins, but this will deprive you of The new Pt d'lAu chair, a long T-Bar (Pertuis), La Chaux lift, and a cruise down the hair-pins of La Foilleuse.
As for a nice place to eat in the 'Zine, you can't go far wrong with the Farm House.
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FAQ
